Con & Pro of Removal of Power Assist Steering in 996

Does anybody remove the power assist power steering in trying to obtain the steering feel in the g-series Porsche 911? Is it possible? If this modification isn�t effective then what can we do to achieve that goal? Thanks in advance.

In a word? No!... The "power steering" in the 996 is a well designed & engineered power assisted rack & pinion system that has a very tactile/connected feel (certainly not your dads old Buick or Cadillac). Same as non power assisted systems ? No, of course not (probably better ), but if you just remove it, good luck trying to park your car or maneuver in tight spaces...

uhhhhhhhhh.....uhhhhhhhh....uhhhhhhhhhh Sure, rip it all out, including that power sucking power steering pump and all those worthless hoses. Let us know how it goes......

Yes, look up the 996 CLR build. Power steering pump and lines were removed. The rack & pinion was then modified and blocked off. Just note that his 996 is a lot lighter than your 996. http://www.911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t...=asc&start=140

i converted my boxster to manual steering. there is a shop 'the machine shop' that did the conversion to the rack. noticeable increase in power, and you can feel every divot in the road (and every piece of cleg you pick up on the track). steering is heavier but not terribly so, and i run sticky 245 tires on the front. 996 probably better as you have more weight rearward.

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I had BlackBird Fabworx remove the power steering system on one of my Miata's several years ago. They removed the pump and lines and plugged the rack several years ago. It was actually a very positive modification for both power and steering feedback. I'd do it again. On the 911? I don't know. However, you're in SoCal like me...if you do it, and your results are favorable. I'd want to learn more. Mike

To get that aircooled steering feel you could start by regearing it to be about half as quick and add a bunch of rubber bushings all over the place.

I did fhe power ro manual steering conversion to a rally car, and it was fine, but it made around town stuff like parking unpleasant. It was a dedicated race car, so this wasn�t a big deal (parc ferme was a bit of a hassle).

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^^ This ^^

If you're looking for weight reduction and a small bump in power, look into converting to an electric steering pump. A pump from a Toyota MR2 is a popular choice with people who do engine swaps into 996s.

vauxhaull zafira electric ps pump ($50 from ebay uk) is the same trw unit as used in the cup cars. beware the guys on the for sale forum who are like " i just found a spare cup car electric power steering pump in my race shop that i don't need, only $500 ...". and a month later they are like "oh, look, i just found another one ...". you are just giving $450 away.

@The Radium King It would be cool if you had any links with a bit more information about that electric pump. Since Vauxhall isn't sold in the US, it would be great to find an equivalent part on a sold-in-US car.

easy enough to buy from the uk; try this link ... https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...+pump&_sacat=0

I have heard that the electric PS pump system from the 997.2 has been adapted into the 996. I know one guy on the GT3 forum who did this in his 996 GT3 (Yes it's a GT3 but the PS system is the same as a regular 996). Just an idea. I think it mounts in the Frunk.

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There are 996 RSR electric power steering pumps. https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...ing-pumps.html What's nice about the electric pump is you can turn it off and on as you please. Just turn it on when you've just left the gym. Here's a good summary on install from another thread.

which are the same trw units as used by vauxhall and opel ... you only need a new idler pulley if you've also deleted the AC, otherwise you just need a shorter belt. for send/return lines best to adapt the oem lines as porsche has uncommon fittings at the rack. on the electric pump side there is just a barbed return fitting and i can't remember the thread of the send fitting. search on 986forum for that info as well as wiring colours (there is a primary +12V and ground, as well as a control 12v, switched 12v and an unused signal wire - simple). if you get the vauxhall unit, also get them to send the mounting bracket that comes with the rubber isolation mounts; with a bit of bending it can be made to fit on the upper shelf in the frunk. all in you are looking at $50 + shipping for the pump, a few $ to the local hydraulic hose guy, some big wire and a fuse, and some small wire.

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That's awesome!

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That looks like a great little pump, I can see using that for a lot of repurposed ideas. Thanks for the INFO. !!

I checked out the link and yea it looks like there r a bunch of well used pumps for $1-200 shipped. New pumps r in the $6-700 range even from europe. Im one of those guys that bought an rsr pump for $450 for future use and dont feel too ripped off as its in near new condition. At least i know now there r alternate sorces for these pumps.

I did the electric power steering pump conversion in my 996 C2 and could not be happier. I can attest to the TRW pumps being sold in the UK as the same ones sold for much more. I got mine for about $65 shipped from overseas. If you look around they come up often enough on Ebay UK. "The Radium King" has a couple of very good DIY write ups for the boxster that cover pretty much everything needed for the pump conversion (Thank you). He ended up going manual in the long run for his track car. There are a few other write ups that cover it also. I converted mine because I was tired of chasing leaks and changing lines 3 separate times. Also if there is a nominal gain in HP thats always a good thing. The AN line adapters are available from RSR (Rebel S Racing) products if you don't want to make your own, and the line can be made easily with products from JEGs, Summit Etc. I used Earls black power steering hose and fittings that I cut and finished. I was not able to find a dummy pulley so I gutted my power steering pump which works fine.

thanks. good find on the rebel s product - i'd had gsr fittings but wasn't sure of a source once they stopped making them. i also have a gsr dummy pulley, however tarett now make one as well. don't try the 987.2 unit - doesn't fit (anyone want to buy a 987.2 dummy pulley?).

escimo , looks great! - Any more pictures? What mount bracket for the pump did you use?, how did you route the pipes to the rack? How and where did you wire the pump into?

You can install the electric PS pump from the 997 GT3 Cup car. Mounts in the frunk. Lookup user Powderhound on the 6-GT3 forum I believe he's using it.

Pro would also be the possibility to fit a dry sump pump in the location of the power steering pump and be done with any oil pressure issues on a track.

Can anybody comment on how does the 996 steering feel without power assisted steering comparing to 911 g-series car? Thanks

I was asked to share these pics of my setup from Duke Engineering Solutions. Full disclosure, this is my company, but I've had many people approach me to share as it's the best and most complete kit on the market. All you add is a pump and the RSR fittings. If this isn't allowed, I'll remove it. I figured this will help people greatly as the electric PS conversions on the market use push to connect fittings and cheap hose. My kits use 100R2 hoses with professionally crimped fittings and bulkhead connectors. I'll take soem new pics as I've optimized the bracket hardware and mounting holes. There's a bracket that mounts a Bussman 80A circuit breaker right next to the battery with USA made crimped cables. https://www.dukeengineeringsolutions...-for-trw-pumps

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I should've known it was another Rennlister that made this kit! I'm still holding off on converting until I'm sure that I'm keeping the 996 "till death". How does the steering weight change vs the stock mechanical assist?

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Thank you The steering feel is lighter, which I really like more than the standard 996 PS feel. There's nothing wrong with the OEM, it's just preference and weight distrubution + HP + convenience for me and most people. I like that the steering is the same feel at 10mph as it is at 100mph. I also like that the power steering can be cut off with a simple dash switch so I can just run mechanical steering. Additionaly, driving the car around town is much easier and I like it a lot more than the more connected OEM feel. I still feel connected, but it's not as much effort which I like a lot for daily driving. Personal preference and weigh the pros/cons if it's right for you.

With a simple resister or rheostat you could slow the pump speed to any steering feel you desire, with a rheostat you could have it adjustable on the fly... As you lower the voltage to the pump, you also lower then amperage so there is no worry or damage to the pump, but the resister or rheostat will heat up and needs to able to withstand the heat ( watts) and the heat needs somewhere to go...so you have to be selective on the resistor or rheostat and get the correct size/rating..

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That�s a cool idea.

@gtxracer Are you running a dummy pulley instead of the mechanical steering pump or a shorter belt? If the latter, which belt?

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Another option is to get rid the pump/dummy pulley entirely (bracket is still needed for the alternator). In that case the Napa K060824 belt is a perfect fit. Used on 2013-2015 Acura ILX and Honda Civic so plenty of brand options.

Edit: The 6PK2065 is probably incorrect and too short. See @yaz996 's post here: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post19251543 Martin Hill mentioned in his video on the conversion that the Continental 6PK2065 Continental 6PK2065 belt also works.

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It�s actually already in the Volvo pump, so don�t lower the voltage externally.

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My car is LS swapped, so I didn't have to delete the M96 pulley See below, it sounds like it's fairly quick and easy to either gut the OEM pump or delete it (which is what I'd recommend). Thanks for posting that!

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Yup, those are great. My buddy runs this controller in his drift car on a Volvo pump. The TRW pump is a bit different IIRC, and need to find my notes to recall if we can limit voltage without issue. We could make a microcontroller to adust voltage based on vehicle speed, for example, and vary the voltage inputs - but this would be done on the supply and it's up to 80A. Maybe a PWM signal on the trigger wire would work similarly but I'm unsure if this is safe for the pump.

Thanks everyone for a super informative thread. I see that this is a mostly solved problem with great aftermarket support. Would some of the experienced folks fill in the rationale for such a modification? You're taking a part off the motor (with a tank that can crack over time, and hopefully eliminating some parasitic power loss, much like an underdrive pulley), you have the opportunity to remove the PS lines (weight savings, future leak elimination/reduction), you redistribute some weight up front. Anything else? Any consideration to give to cooling the PS fluid at all?

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Those are exactly the reasons I'm undertaking this conversion. I have nearly all the parts gathered, just waiting on pump mounting bracket and lines. I'm going with a TRW pump, Tarret delete pulley, Duke Engineering bracket/lines, and Rebel Racing rack fittings.

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I used his video as one reference for the project, and actually tried using the 6PK2065 belt at first. Found it be a little too short even routing it the same way he does. Guessing his tensioner is shot. Based on my measurements it needs to be 2090-2100mm. K060824 is at lower end of that range. I've attached my parts list. Using the mount from @gtxracer . Also elected to upgrade the alternator.​​

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Nice parts list! My only suggestion would be to replace the aluminum bulkhead fittings with steel or SS. The aluminum fittings wear out quickly. I highly recommend using all steel fittings on steering systems. High pressure systems (over 250psi IMO) should use steel fittings and steel braided or reinforced hose. I used to design hydraulic and AC fittings for a large HD truck company, as a reference for my claims. I have 3 of the DES 996 TRW pump power steering brackets that are blemish items. $100 off the standard price because the stainless steel finish isn’t up to my standards. Must be a Rennlister, PM me if you want one. Once they’re gone, I’ll update this post. edit: All 3 blemished DES 996 PS mounts are gone. I have a used DES 996 PS mount that was one of the later prototypes and just came off my car. Worked great, I just took it off to replace with a painted unit for further testing of the latest design. If someone wants this, I'll sell at a steep discount, PM me. Would adding an option for a M96 pump delete or belt kit with my PS kits be a good option for 996 folks? I’ll have to look into the best option vs a dummy pulley, but curious if this is a desired option.

ack. my wallet can not repel firepower of this magnitude. I think I shake out indifferent to dummy pulley or delete outside of cost concerns. I'm doing this on a 986 though, so I'll have my hands full getting the pump out in the first place.

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Thanks! I appreciate the feedback about the pulley. I'll be offering these brackets with a black finish on the stainless steel for a different look. I know brushed stainless is not for everyone. For anyone that also wants this on their existing brackets, I'll blacken those for a small fee in the future once I nail down the process and ensure the corrosion resistance is still up to par. Note this is not a powdercoating or some other cheap coating like paint.

Black brackets came out PERFECT! Also shown is the Infinity Kappa amp mount that tucks behind the spare and routes wires out of view for a clean install. No more amp on the floor of the frunk!